Biome reconstruction from pollen and plant macrofossil data for Africa andthe Arabian peninsula at 0 and 6000 years

Biome reconstruction from pollen and plant macrofossil data provides an obj ective method to reconstruct past vegetation. Biomes for Africa and the Ara bian peninsula have been mapped for 6000 years sp and provide a new standar d for the evaluation of simulated palaeovegetation distributions. A test us ing modern pollen data shows the robustness of the biomization method, whic h is able to predict the major vegetation types with a high confidence leve l. The application of the procedure to the 6000 years data set (pollen and plant macrofossil analyses) shows systematic differences from the present t hat are consistent with the numerous previous regional and continental inte rpretations, while providing a more extensive and more objective basis for such interpretations. Madagascar, eastern, southern and central Africa show only minor changes in terms of biomes, compared to present. Major changes in biome distributions occur north of 15 degrees N, with steppe in many low -elevation sites that are now desert, and temperate xerophytic woods/scrub and warm mixed forest in the Saharan mountains. These shifts in biome distr ibutions, imply significant changes in climate, especially precipitation, b etween 6000 years and present, reflecting a change in monsoon extent combin ed with a southward expansion of Mediterranean influence.